Holiday Hoax: A Fake Marriage Billionaire Romance (The Cartwright Family Book 1)
Holiday Hoax: Chapter 28

It’s Christmas Eve. I still haven’t given Georgia her present. I’ve held off going to her place all week, but I get into my truck and drive over to her apartment.

As I pull onto her street, she gets into her car. My pulse increases and my heart skips a beat. I’ve not seen her since the day Melanie and I got into it on the street, but she’s more beautiful than I remember.

Like a psycho, I follow her, staying a few car lengths behind her. She pulls up to a house, goes up to the porch, and rings the doorbell.

Melanie opens the door, and they hug.

Great. She’s probably going to be here all night.

But I’m only half right. It’s worse than I anticipated. She not only stays for hours but sleeps over.

Early the next morning, I watch through the window as kids jump around opening presents. She’s in her pajamas with her coffee. Her beautiful face shines, but there’s also a hint of sadness. And I wish there wasn’t. Because I know I put it there.

They’re halfway through opening gifts when my phone rings. I glance at the screen and groan, answering, ‘Merry Christmas, Dad.’

‘Get your ass to the ranch,’ he orders.

‘I’m not coming to town.’

‘I’m only going to tell you one more time, son. Get your ass over here,’ he demands.

I sigh. I don’t even go home and change. What’s the point? I make the two-hour drive and pull up to my parents’ house. I walk in the door, and all my siblings are there, along with my nieces and nephews.

My father motions for me to follow him to his den.

Annoyed he took me away from spying on Georgia, I ask, ‘What’s this about?’

He crosses his arms. ‘Your wife called me.’

My heart beats faster. ‘Georgia called? What did she say?’

He stares me down for a minute.

‘Dad, tell me what she said,’ I demand.

He makes me wait another moment, then announces, ‘Seems like your wife pleaded your case for you to become the CEO.’

I jerk my head backward, blurting out, ‘Why would she do that? I don’t understand.’

My father snorts. ‘I don’t know, but that woman’s too good for you.’

‘Tell me about it,’ I mutter.

He glares at me, then questions, ‘So you didn’t put her up to it?’

‘Put her up to it? She won’t even talk to me. I’ve tried everything, and she refuses.’

He shakes his head. ‘You brought that on yourself, son.’

‘Is there anything else you want to tell me?’ I snap. I don’t need his guilt trip. I have to live with myself and my decisions every day.

His nostrils flare. He inquires, ‘Do you still want to be CEO?’

I freeze. I never would’ve thought about whether I wanted to be CEO or not a few weeks ago. Now, I feel like my life’s upside down and everything’s changed.

‘What else did Georgia say?’ I inquire.

He grinds his molars, then replies, ‘She said that you’re the most capable CEO I could have and that I’d be a fool to name anyone else but you to the position.’

‘She did?’

‘Not in those words but close enough,’ he claims.

I stare at him.

He huffs. ‘So I asked you, do you still want to be CEO?’

‘Yeah, of course I do,’ I admit.

‘Good. Don’t screw it up,’ he adds.

I arch my eyebrows, then double-check I’m not hearing things. ‘Are you naming me CEO? You’re actually going to step down?’

‘Don’t make me say it twice,’ he threatens.

‘Is it the same deal as before? January 2nd, I’ll be named CEO?’ I quiz.

He nods. ‘Yeah. But you better not screw it up this time.’

‘I won’t,’ I assure him.

‘Good.’

Why would Georgia call my dad and go to bat for me?

Does she still care about me?

Is not all lost?

He warns, ‘You better make it right with Georgia. A woman like that doesn’t come around twice.’

Mom steps into the room, informing me, ‘Yeah, she was a mess. She looks like she’s lost a lot of weight.’

I spin toward her. ‘You’ve seen Georgia?’

‘Well, of course. Evelyn and I dropped the girls off for their field trip to the zoo in Dallas. Isabella and Emma needed to see her first. Then we took her to breakfast. She barely ate… I don’t think she’s eating,’ Mom frets.

My stomach turns. ‘I have to go.’

‘Where are you going now? You just got here,’ Mom accuses.

‘I haven’t given Georgia her Christmas gift, and I need to.’

My mom doesn’t hesitate. She points to the door. ‘Then get your booty moving.’

I leave, ignoring everyone, and get into my truck. I barrel out of the ranch and return to Dallas. I shower, then go back to Melanie’s and see that Georgia’s car is still outside. I wait and wait. Finally, around eight o’clock, long after dark, she steps out of the house.

My heart squeezes as Greg helps her carry gifts to her car. He hugs her, and she drives off.

I follow her to her apartment. The moment she parks and gets out of the car, I rush up to her, grab her arm, and spin her. ‘Georgia.’

The color drains from her face. ‘Sebastian, what are you doing here?’

‘Please just give me a minute.’

She takes a deep breath and clenches her jaw. She lifts her chin higher, stating, ‘Sebastian, you need to stop sending me gifts, texting, and calling me.’

I hurriedly state, ‘I made a request for Huck to give me a prenup with loopholes. I’ll forever be sorry. But I have your Christmas gift if you just give me a few minutes.’

She scrunches her face, admitting, ‘I don’t have a Christmas gift for you.’

‘I don’t need a Christmas gift. I only want you,’ I blurt out. My pulse beats hard between my ears.

She looks away. Her voice shakes as she says, ‘I can’t give that to you, Sebastian.’

My heart drops. It was a long shot anyway. I quickly add, ‘I understand, but I still need to give you your gift. I don’t want you side-swiped with it when you receive it. So if you can give me an hour, I promise I’ll leave you alone after I give it to you. If that’s what you want,’ I add.

She glances at the truck and asks, ‘What is it?’

‘I can’t tell you that. You have to see it.’

‘If this is a trick, Sebastian, I swear—’

‘No, I promise you it’s not a trick.’

She stares at me.

I lower my voice and grab her hand. ‘Please just come with me. It’s only for an hour. I promise I’ll drop you back off after you see it.’

She finally takes a deep breath, nods, and says, ‘I have to get my packages inside first.’

‘I’ll help you,’ I state.

We carry her Christmas gifts into her apartment and then come back outside. I open the door to the truck and she gets in.

My stomach’s flipping hard, but I have hope again. At least she’s finally talking to me. I run around the truck, get in, start the engine, and veer onto the road. Her sugar-and-rose scent flares in the cab, and everything about it reminds me how much I’ve missed her and how much it’s hurt.

She asks, ‘Did you have a good day with your family?’

I glance at her, admitting, ‘I was only there for about ten minutes.’

Horror fills her face. ‘Why? It’s Christmas day.’

‘I followed you to Melanie’s last night and was waiting for you to come outside. Then my dad called,’ I confess.

She looks at me like I’m crazy, ordering, ‘You have to stop this, Sebastian.’

‘I know. But listen, I needed you to talk to me, and my dad called and ordered me to the ranch. I didn’t know what was going on. I didn’t want to go, but you know how my dad is. So I went, and he told me that you called him.’ I glance at her.

Her face turns red. She claims, ‘I just did what was right. Is he naming you CEO?’

Everything about being CEO feels off. I should be elated. I should be jumping up and down and thanking my lucky stars. I’m finally getting what I’ve always wanted, but now it just doesn’t seem right without her. I reply, ‘He is, but it doesn’t feel that good.’

She furrows her eyebrows. ‘Why not? It’s the only thing you’ve ever wanted.’

I admit, ‘Maybe in the past. But it doesn’t feel right without you by my side.’

She inhales sharply and turns, staring out the window.

‘Georgia—’

‘You were fine before me, Sebastian. You’ll be fine again,’ she claims.

‘That’s not true,’ I declare.

We travel the rest of the way in silence. When we get on the street her bakery is on, I park a block away and turn off the truck.

‘What are we doing here?’ she questions.

I pull a blindfold out of the glove compartment, answering, ‘I need you to put this on.’

She gives me a funny look, warning, ‘Sebastian, if this is one of your tricks—’

‘I told you, I’m not trying to trick you. But I need you to trust me right now.’

She snaps, ‘That’s a little easier to say and harder to do.’

It stabs me in the heart a bit, but I can’t blame her. ‘I understand. I promise you, I’m not tricking you, but I need you to put this on.’ I hold it out to her again.

She sighs, then takes the blindfold and slips it over her eyes.

‘Okay, stay there. I’m coming around to get you.’ I jump out of the truck, help her out, and guide her down the street.

It feels so good to have her in my arms again, right next to me.

This is how it should be.

We get in front of the bakery, and I unlock the door, turn on the lights, and move her inside.

‘Are you ready?’ I ask.

‘Sure,’ she answers.

My stomach fills with flutters as I untie her blindfold and study her.

She blinks a few times, and all the color drains from her face. She opens her mouth to speak, but nothing comes out. She finally swallows hard and stares at me.

‘Merry Christmas,’ I offer.

She questions, ‘How…?’ She continues to gape.

I’ve never felt so nervous in my life. I admit, ‘When we were in Iceland, and you showed me your plans, I called the spa to book you for the manicure and pedicure. Once you left, I arranged for it all.’

Her mouth drops closer to the floor. Then she glances outside at the boutique across the street. She declares, ‘Sebastian, this is prime real estate.’

‘Yes, I know. It’s perfect for foot traffic,’ I add.

She frets, ‘I can’t afford rent on a place like this.’

My face falls. I go to the counter and pick up a thick envelope. I hand it to her and state, ‘There is no rent. The title was transferred to your name yesterday. My attorneys filed for your franchise. They want to meet with you. Whenever you’re ready though. It can be soon or down the road. It’s a standing meeting. The paperwork is all in here.’

She puts one hand over her mouth and her other on her stomach.

I chuckle. ‘You really should see your face right now.’

‘Sebastian, are you serious?’

‘Yes. Here, let me show you around your kitchen.’ I guide her through the swinging door and ask, ‘Is everything how it’s supposed to be?’

She studies the room, goes to the ovens and opens them, then slides her hand over the mixers. ‘This is amazing,’ she says reverently.

Happy that I got it right, I guide her out of the kitchen to where the customers will sit. I show her the lounge area and then I open the glass door for the quiet room. I inform her, ‘I had them noise proof it. And you didn’t have this on your plans, but I had them add the electrical outlets so people can charge their phones or laptops. I hope that’s okay?’

She nods. ‘That’s a great idea.’

I ask again, ‘Is this what you imagined? I tried to get it as close to scale as possible to your design, but if anything’s off—’

‘It’s perfect,’ she claims. Her eyes glisten, and she locks them with mine. She adds, ‘It’s exactly as I imagined.’

I step forward and place my hands on her cheeks.

She squeezes her eyes shut and whispers, ‘Sebastian, I can’t do this with you again.’

I feel ill, so ill. I’ve felt like this since she left me, but this is the worst I think it’s been. I declare, ‘Georgia, all couples have issues they have to deal with. We can get past this.’

She opens her eyes, asserting, ‘We were never meant to be. We just got wrapped up in things because of the situation.’

‘I don’t believe that. Tell me you don’t believe that,’ I plead.

She tilts her head, questioning, ‘Would you have ever asked me out if you didn’t need a fake wife?’

‘That was stupid of me to ever ask you to do. I’m sorry.’

‘Sebastian, answer my question. Would you have asked me out?’

My mouth turns dry.

‘You thought I was an annoying woman with a silly cupcake bakery dream, didn’t you?’

I hate that I called her bakery silly a few weeks ago and how ignorant I was. I confess, ‘Georgia, I was an unhappy, arrogant idiot.’

She squeezes her eyes shut again and takes a deep breath. She opens her lids, raises her chin, and firmly states, ‘You never would’ve asked me out. I wasn’t the type of woman you were attracted to.’

‘I’ve always been attracted to you. And the fact you aren’t like anyone else is exactly why I fell in love with you,’ I declare.

She freezes.

I lower my voice. ‘I do love you. And once I got to know you better, I would’ve asked you out.’

She drills her gaze into mine, ‘Sebastian—’

‘I’m in love with you, Georgia. I was stupid and wrong. I should have told Huck on the phone I didn’t care about the loophole anymore. I just wanted to get off the phone that night. He’s my attorney. He would have tried to talk me out of it. I didn’t want to deal with it and that’s the truth. I’m sorry you heard that. I’m sorry that I hurt you.’

She cries out, ‘You didn’t just hurt me. You broke my heart.’

Silence fills the air.

She jerks her head toward the door.

I’ve never felt so bad in my life. Hurting her is the worst thing I’ve ever done. I take a deep breath and add, ‘I’m sorry I broke your heart. I didn’t mean to. My heart’s broken too, and if you forgive me—’

‘I have forgiven you,’ she claims quietly.

Hope fills me. ‘Then let’s move forward.’

She glances at the ceiling, then pins her gaze on me, declaring, ‘I’m sorry, Sebastian. I can’t. Forgiveness doesn’t mean you repeat the same mistakes.’ Tears flow down her cheeks.

My heart sinks. I beg, ‘We aren’t a mistake. We—’

‘Please don’t keep trying to win me over. It’s just hurting me more,’ she interjects.

Once again, my life’s crashing around me.

Is there really nothing I can do?

The look on her face tells me nothing will make her change her mind. I’ve never felt so defeated.

She pleads, ‘Please. I’m tired of hurting.’

I don’t want to hurt her anymore, so I agree. ‘Okay, I’ll stop.’ The moment the words come out of my mouth, I regret them. But now that I’ve promised her, I need to uphold my word.

‘Thank you,’ she says, then steps away from me. She gazes around the bakery, adding, ‘This is too much though, Sebastian.’

‘No, it’s not. You deserve it. And I know this is just the start of whatever you want to accomplish,’ I insist.

She stares at me for a while, then adds, ‘I don’t know what to say besides thank you. It feels like it’s not enough though.’

‘It is,’ I confirm.

Another moment of silence passes and she suggests, ‘We should get going.’

More disappointment fills me. I walk her back to the truck, and we don’t say anything on the way home. All my words are jumbled in my head and seem like the wrong thing to say.

I get out of the car, and she stops me when we get to the front of her building.

She repeats, ‘Thank you so much for the bakery. It’s incredible.’

I smile sadly. ‘You’re welcome.’ I hand her the key. ‘You’re going to have an amazing company.’

She hesitates and then hugs me. Nothing’s ever felt so good. I want to kiss her, but I stop myself.

She retreats, offering, ‘Merry Christmas, Sebastian.’

I force another smile. ‘Merry Christmas, Sunshine.’

She spins out of my embrace, and once again I’m empty.